Class 1-B's first Freshman Liaison Meeting came to a perfect close.
After the afternoon meeting ended on a high note, the group of seven lingered at Keyaki Mall for a long time. It wasn't until the sun set and the sky grew dark that they finally called it a day.
By the time Hashiba Hikaru returned to his dorm, it was already half past nine. He shut the door and immediately opened his System Panel.
[Stock Interface] [Ichinose Honami Stock] [Current Price: 110] [Shares Held: 5000]
"The price is 110 now. I'll sell 2,000 shares, as planned."
Hashiba Hikaru considered how to make his first stock sale. After everything he'd done that day, he had confirmed two things.
The first was that helping Class B was the best way to raise Ichinose Honami's stock price.
Whether he came up with a plan or put one into action, the price would rise by different amounts depending on how much he did.
So he didn't intend to cash out all at once. After all, he would be spending the next three years with this girl. As long as he continued to do his best in future class competitions, the stock price would keep climbing.
And you expect to use the system without being greedy?
The second thing was that the characters whose stocks appeared in the system were completely random.
It wasn't limited to female students; even female teachers could have stocks. The initial prices varied, too. Ichinose Honami's stock, which started at 10, was practically a beginner's perk—perfect for going all in.
Meanwhile, Chabashira Sae Stock and Horikita Suzune Stock had much higher starting prices, at 50 and 100. Going all in at those prices would be far too difficult. Without enough funds, Hashiba Hikaru wouldn't even consider it.
He also didn't know when a new stock would appear. According to the points-earning plan he'd come up with that morning, he would be interacting with students from other classes frequently from now on. Maybe one day he'd stumble across another hidden gem: a stock with a low initial price that was easy to raise.
That was the right way to use the system.
"Then I'll sell some for now. Improving my physical fitness is my top priority at the moment."
After reviewing his decision, Hashiba Hikaru opened the sell page for Ichinose Honami Stock.
[Sell Ichinose Honami Stock?] [Quantity: 2000] [Sale successful. Funds received: 220000]
"I'll buy the Exercise Booster first. Ideally, I can start tomorrow."
Without a moment's hesitation, Hashiba Hikaru bought a 30-day Exercise Booster worth 100,000 from the [Trading Shop].
[Exercise Booster (30 days)] [Regular exercise will increase your stamina limit. The first purchase will increase the host's stamina by 1. The effect requires 30 days of continuous exercise. The prescribed exercise is running, for one hour each day.]
Once the purchase was complete, a bottle of water appeared out of thin air in Hashiba Hikaru's hand. It looked no different from an ordinary sports drink.
"I just drink it, right?"
He'd already spent the money, so he might as well get on with it.
After drinking the entire bottle, the boy saw a new status line appear under [Character Information] on his System Bar.
[Character Information] [Name: Hashiba Hikaru] [Age: 15] [Intelligence: 7] [Charm: 8] [Stamina: 3] [Stocks Held: Ichinose Honami Stock × 3000] [Skills: None] [Funds: 169000] [Exercise Booster active. Exercise targets completed: 0/30.]
"Looks like I can get started now."
Hashiba Hikaru recalled the class schedule in his Student Handbook. The first lesson began at eight thirty, so he had plenty of time to run before class. He could still make it to the classroom afterward.
"Then let's do this. Phase one of rebuilding my stamina: morning jog, here I come!"
Morning Jog—and an Encounter with the Student Council President
Once darkness had completely swallowed the sky, every facility at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School had fallen quiet. All the students had returned to their dorms by curfew, and the shopping district had closed for the night.
The entire Artificial Island was shrouded in darkness, yet one place remained brightly lit: the Student Council Activity Room on an upper floor of the school building.
The Student Council President sat in his usual seat. On the desk in front of him lay a printed student profile.
"Hashiba Hikaru, Class 1-B?"
Horikita Manabu, hailed as the best Student Council President since the school's founding, pushed up his glasses. He had just received some unusual information through his own channels.
On the first day of school, a new student from Class 1-B had uncovered the entrance exam set by the school and used the S System to buy all the school's hidden rules from his homeroom teacher.
It was the first time anything like that had happened in the school's more than ten years of existence. The school had learned of the student's actions at once, and soon afterward, a profile had been printed and sent to the Student Council.
Horikita Manabu knew exactly what this meant. As Student Council President of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, he wielded far more authority than ordinary students knew.
Besides overseeing the clubs and school activities, he had the right to report directly to the Chairman. He could even bypass the teachers to obtain information firsthand.
Now that this profile had landed in front of him, his duty as Student Council President was to assess the student's abilities, have the school verify them, and then arrange for the Student Council to reward him.
"I hope he doesn't disappoint me. If he really is an ace, then that would be perfect."
Horikita Manabu studied the profile on his desk, memorized the student's features, then expertly switched off the lights in the Student Council Activity Room and walked out.
Beneath the moonlight, the broad-shouldered man walked with steady steps. He was just as he'd been on his first day at the school. Time hadn't changed him; rather, he was the one constantly changing this place.
Early the next morning, when the sky had only just begun to lighten, Hashiba Hikaru was already up.
His plan was to get some exercise on the track before his first class, return to his dorm to shower, and then head to the classroom.
When the freshly washed boy opened the dormitory doors in his tracksuit, it wasn't even seven yet. He had plenty of time to work out.
Hashiba Hikaru chose Track 1, near the Gymnasium. It had the school's widest running track, with enough room for more than twenty people to race side by side. Apart from the Sports Festival, it was usually the territory of the athletic clubs.
But when he arrived, he found that other students were already exercising there.
"Seriously, I thought I'd gotten up early enough."
Looking at the students on the track, Hashiba Hikaru couldn't help letting out a sigh. "Looks like even reincarnating can't save me from getting outworked!"
"Forget them. I'll just focus on myself."
As he spoke, Hashiba Hikaru began his warm-up, stretching his muscles. Running was the required exercise, but the [Exercise Booster] instructions didn't specify how strenuous the workout had to be. A light jog should count.
"Whew. Let's go!"
After warming up, Hashiba Hikaru set off at a run. Before long, the sensation of his body bouncing with each step and his increasingly frantic heartbeat turned his face pale.
"Cough, cough. This happens every time. That's why I hate exercising!"
Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the timer that had appeared on the system. His chest was already protesting violently, but he didn't stop. Instead, he adjusted his stride and slowed down. He'd been weak since childhood, which was why he'd spent most of his time studying.
As his teachers used to say, good grades were enough to get into the best schools. It didn't matter if he failed PE.
"Is this karma? It came back to bite me so soon."
As he ran, Hashiba Hikaru remembered all the PE classes he'd skipped in elementary and middle school. Since he'd always ranked first, he'd enjoyed privileges other students didn't have.
Not only could he skip PE, he could brazenly go to the teachers' office for snacks, then sit by the window and watch his classmates run laps on the track.
It had been unbelievably great.
"Whew!"
Feeling the harsh strain his frail body was putting him through, Hashiba Hikaru forced himself onward. He'd already spent the money, so he had to finish the full hour.
One lap around Track 1's rubber running track was 400 meters. At Hashiba Hikaru's slow pace, each lap took five or six minutes. Even girls with poor stamina could easily pass him.
But he didn't stop. He kept running at a slow, steady pace around the track. By persevering, Hashiba Hikaru gradually found a balance between how hard he could push himself and what his body could handle.
Once he'd made it through the hardest stretch, Hashiba Hikaru suddenly realized he was getting used to the pace. As long as he controlled his breathing, the strain began to ease.
"Cough, cough. This is killing me."
After three laps, Hashiba Hikaru felt he was reaching his limit. He decided to get a bottle of water from the vending machine and take a break.
After stopping, he checked the System Bar first.
[Exercise Booster active. Exercise targets completed: 0/30.] [Current exercise time: 22 minutes.]
"More than thirty minutes to go. This is exhausting."
Just as Hashiba Hikaru reached the vending machine, he noticed someone standing beside him. The other person seemed to be staring at him.
The boy wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up. To his surprise, he saw someone who'd made a deep impression on him.
The Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.
He was also wearing a tracksuit and holding a black thermos with a strap.
Since the other man was the Student Council President and a third-year senior, Hashiba Hikaru greeted him first.
"Horikita-senpai? What a coincidence. Are you here for a morning jog, too?"
"It's no coincidence. I'm actually waiting for you."
Horikita Manabu's tone was calm, but his words startled Hashiba Hikaru.
"???"
What was going on?
The boy suddenly grew tense and cautiously asked, "Horikita-senpai, you must have misspoken. Today should be the first time I've ever spoken to you, right?"
"That's right." Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses, his expression unchanged. "But I am waiting for you, Hashiba Hikaru."
"Were you the one who discovered something was wrong with the school and proposed buying the school rules from a teacher with Private Points?"
"Or were you acting on someone else's orders?"
"..."
Hashiba Hikaru tugged at his tracksuit, now soaked with sweat, and his expression turned serious.
"If I say yes, what are you going to do, Horikita-senpai?"
Horikita Manabu replied calmly, "If that's true, I'll give you a chance."
"A chance to stand by my side."
Do I Get to Have It All?
When the Student Council President said that, Hashiba Hikaru fell silent.
He considered what those words meant and what Horikita Manabu wanted from him.
Now that the school's Deep Rules had been exposed, Hashiba Hikaru knew that the man in front of him wielded far more influence than ordinary people.
"Hmm..." Hashiba Hikaru thought for a moment, then answered seriously. "Are you inviting me to join the Student Council, Horikita-senpai?"
"This school has been around for more than ten years. You're the first person to discover the Deep Rules on the first day and use the S System to make a deal with a teacher."
"That kind of ability is enough for me to invite you. Once you join the Student Council, you'll have a perspective completely different from that of students in your year." Horikita Manabu looked Hashiba Hikaru in the eye. "Even in future class competitions, you'll be able to draw on the Student Council's influence."
"That's certainly a tempting offer. But before I answer, I have one question."
Hashiba Hikaru didn't let himself be fooled by the promises. Meeting Horikita Manabu's sharp gaze head-on, he asked, word by word, "Who wants me to join the Student Council—you, Horikita-senpai, or the school?"
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